The Massachusetts Gaming Commission started accepting application, fees and letters of intent today for businesses hoping to bring resort casinos to Massachusetts, according to a spokesperson for the commission.

This comes about nine months after the state’s gaming legislation was signed into law.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission started accepting application, fees and letters of intent today for businesses hoping to bring resort casinos to Massachusetts, according to a spokesperson for the commission.

This comes about nine months after the state’s gaming legislation was signed into law.

While there is a proposed tribal casino that was approved under the state’s gaming legislation for a site in Taunton — which still requires approval for a federal land into trust agreement — the law also allows two additional resort casinos to be formed in the state by private developers, along with a smaller slot parlor facility.

Applications for a casino license and for the slot license all cost a non-refundable $400,000 fee — with the intent of weeding out businesses that are testing the waters, and to only to take serious proposals.

“The $400,000 fee covers funding for the amount of considerable investigative work required to determine an applicant’s suitability,” said Elaine Driscoll, spokesperson for the five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said on Wednesday that initial applications will be accepted through October, when a more detailed qualification form will be required. The second application requires developers to share information about key businessmen and employees in the company and about company finances.

The qualification forms will be assessed for the next few months, into early 2013, Crosby said. Around that point, detailed development proposals are required from the casino backers, before the commission chooses who gets the casino licenses.

Crosby said the casino licenses and the slot parlor license could be awarded as early as October 2013.

With the Mashpee Wampanoags plan for a casino in Taunton approved by the state already, two other potential casinos are limited to two different regions of the state: eastern and western, according to the gaming legislation.

Crosby said he hoped to start accepting applications now because developers want to get the process under way.

Crosby said the developers who submit an application and the $400,000 payment will also get access to state agencies to receive info needed for the development of casino plans, including environmental requirements and building codes for such large construction projects.